Marquese Chriss Signs Non-Guaranteed Deal With Blazers
10:00pm: The signing is official, per RealGM’s transactions log.
8:53pm: Marquese Chriss has agreed to a non-guaranteed contract with the Trail Blazers, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Chriss played in just two games last season with the Warriors before suffering a broken right fibula in practice that ended his season. The Spurs acquired Chriss and his expiring contract in late March, then waived him a few days later.
Chriss has fully recovered from the injury, according to Charania, and will compete for a roster spot. Chriss appeared in 59 games with Golden State in 2019/20, including 21 starts, and averaged 9.3 PPG and 6.2 RPG in 20.3 MPG. He’s entering his sixth NBA season.
Portland has 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, with Dennis Smith Jr. and Chriss among those expected to come to training camp on non-guaranteed deals. The Blazers may keep their 15th roster spot open to start the regular season, since they’re slightly over the tax line.
DeAndre Jordan Expected To Sign With Lakers
DeAndre Jordan is expected to sign with the Lakers once the Nets’ deal with the Pistons is completed and Detroit waives him, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Jordan will receive a veteran’s minimum contract of one year and $2.6MM from Los Angeles.
Brooklyn agreed to trade Jordan along with four second-round picks and $5.78MM in cash for Jahlil Okafor and Sekou Doumbouya. The Pistons are expected to buy out and waive Jordan, who has two years and nearly $20MM remaining on his contract.
Jordan is giving back $4MM to get out of his contract, Charania adds in another tweet.
How much Jordan, who fell out of Brooklyn’s rotation last season, would play with the Lakers is a major question mark. Los Angeles still has Marc Gasol on the roster and also signed Dwight Howard in free agency. Anthony Davis, naturally, will also see minutes at center. However, there’s been speculation that Gasol might not return to Los Angeles for the upcoming season.
The Lakers already have 13 players with guaranteed contracts and two others, Chaundee Brown and Mac McClung, on non-guaranteed deals.
Nets Sign LaMarcus Aldridge, Waive Alize Johnson
6:43pm: The Nets have officially signed Aldridge, according to a team press release.
4:19pm: The Nets are signing veteran power forward LaMarcus Aldridge and have waived Alize Johnson, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Brooklyn has officially announced the release of Johnson.
Aldridge will receive a veteran’s minimum contract worth $2.6MM for one year. That was all the Nets could offer due to salary cap constraints.
Aldridge retired last season due to an irregular heartbeat, but received medical clearance to resume his career on Thursday and Brooklyn was considered his likely destination. He played five games with the Nets before the condition forced him to temporarily end his career.
“I retired in April based on what I believed was the wisest precautionary decision for my personal health at the time, but further testing and evaluation by several top physicians has convinced the doctors, myself and the Nets that I’m fully cleared and able to return to the rigors of the NBA,” Aldridge said in a statement to ESPN. “I loved my brief time with Brooklyn and am excited to rejoin the team in pursuit of a championship.”
Aldridge, who also dealt with heart issues in 2017, started talking about a comeback last month. He averaged 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 21 games last season with the Spurs as the team’s starting center. San Antonio opted to go with younger players and ultimately reached a buyout agreement, allowing him to sign with Brooklyn in late March. He was waived after announcing his retirement.
Johnson, 25, appeared in 18 games for Brooklyn in 2020/21, averaging 5.2 PPG and 5.0 RPG in just 10.5 minutes per contest.
Since he was on a three-year, minimum-salary contract, Johnson can’t be claimed off waivers using the minimum salary exception, but a team with a trade exception big enough to absorb his non-guaranteed $1.76MM salary could submit a claim. If he goes unclaimed, Johnson will become an unrestricted free agent on Sunday.
Brooklyn has been quite busy this week. The team reportedly reached an agreement with free agent forward Paul Millsap and has also agreed to trade DeAndre Jordan to the Pistons along with four second-round picks and $5.78MM in cash in exchange for Jahlil Okafor and Sekou Doumbouya.
After officially adding Millsap and Aldridge and completing their trade with Detroit, the Nets will have 16 players on guaranteed contracts and one (DeAndre’ Bembry) on a partially guaranteed deal, meaning more roster moves will be necessary to set the 15-man regular season roster next month.
Additionally, Brooklyn is carrying a two-way player (Kessler Edwards) and another (David Duke) on an Exhibit 10 deal. The club also has two unsigned second-round picks (RaiQuan Gray and Marcus Zegarowski).
Thunder Sign Vit Krejci To Multiyear Deal
The Thunder have signed draft-and-stash prospect Vit Krejci to a multiyear deal, the team announced today in a press release.
A 6’7″ point guard from the Czech Republic, Krejci was selected by Washington with the 37th overall pick in the 2020 draft and was sent to Oklahoma City in a draft-night deal. After spending the last several seasons with Zaragoza in Spain, Krejci came stateside earlier this year to join the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate. He spent the season rehabbing an ACL injury and didn’t play at all for the Blue.
Prior to signing Krejci, the Thunder were carrying 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, with Kenrich Williams, Gabriel Deck, and Charlie Brown on non-guaranteed deals. Williams is a safe bet to stick around, so Krejci will likely claim one of the last two spots on the 15-man regular season roster over either Brown or Deck.
The expectation is that Krejci will once again spend most of his time in the G League in 2021/22, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (Twitter link).
Details of the 21-year-old’s new contract aren’t yet known, but the Thunder could have used a portion of their mid-level exception to offer a three- or four-year deal with a starting salary above the rookie minimum.
Mavs Work Out Isaiah Thomas, Lance Stephenson, Monta Ellis
A handful of veteran NBA guards worked out for the Mavericks on Thursday, according to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), who report that Isaiah Thomas, Lance Stephenson, and Monta Ellis all earned a look from the team.
Thomas, who previously worked out for the Lakers, is hoping to revive his career after dealing with hip problems for the last several seasons. He has appeared in 55 total games since the start of the 2018/19 season for the Nuggets, Wizards, and Pelicans, averaging 11.1 PPG and 3.2 APG on .393/.381/.771 shooting in 21.0 minutes per contest during that time. Those numbers aren’t bad, but they haven’t been enough to make up for his below-average defense and earn him a full-season rotation role.
Still, Thomas says he feels better now than he has in years, and Charania and Krawczynski confirm that sources say the 32-year-old guard appears to be in great shape. The Lakers are probably no longer an option for him after signing Rajon Rondo, but he could earn an opportunity with Dallas or another team.
While Thomas appeared in a handful of games for New Orleans in 2020/21, it has been quite some time since either Stephenson or Ellis suited up for an NBA team.
Stephenson, who has logged over 500 regular season NBA games and another 57 playoff contests across nine seasons, hasn’t played in the league since 2018/19, when he made 68 appearances for the Lakers. A report last month indicated he was holding a private workout in Las Vegas for NBA teams in the hopes of making a comeback. Stephenson will turn 31 this Sunday.
Ellis, meanwhile, has been out of the league even longer. His last NBA stint came in 2016/17, when he appeared in 74 games for the Pacers. Ellis was a talented scorer earlier in his NBA career, but was never a great three-point shooter (31.4% in his career) and will turn 36 years old this October.
The Mavs are currently carrying 14 players on guaranteed contracts, with Moses Brown on a partially guaranteed deal. While it doesn’t appear they have a ton of roster flexibility for now, that could change before the start of the season. For instance, if they were to trade two or three players to Toronto for Goran Dragic, they’d open up a roster spot or two.
Trail Blazers Sign Dennis Smith Jr. To Camp Deal
Former lottery pick Dennis Smith Jr. has signed a contract with the Trail Blazers to attend training camp, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). While Wojnarowski doesn’t provide specifics on Smith’s contract details, it sounds like it’ll be a non-guaranteed one-year deal, giving him a chance to compete for a roster spot.
The ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft, Smith began his career in Dallas and had a promising rookie season for the Mavericks, averaging 15.2 PPG and 5.2 APG as the team’s starting point guard. However, he struggled with his shooting efficiency and was traded to New York in his second season in the deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas.
Smith never really found his footing with the Knicks and was eventually dealt to the Pistons in February of this year after spending two seasons in New York. Detroit opted not to issue a qualifying offer to DSJ at season’s end, so he became an unrestricted free agent and took a month to find a new home.
In 179 total NBA games, Smith has averaged 11.8 PPG and 4.4 APG on .400/.316/.652 shooting in 25.2 minutes per contest.
The Trail Blazers currently only have 13 players on guaranteed contracts and will have to carry at least 14 during the regular season, so there’s a path to a roster spot for Smith. However, I’d expect Portland to invite a few more players to camp to compete for that 14th spot. The team, which is now over the tax line, may begin the season with its 15th spot open to avoid paying an extra salary.
NBA Proposes New Guidelines For Vaccinated & Unvaccinated Players
The NBA’s proposed health and safety protocols for the upcoming season will have much different requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated players, according to Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
The new rules, which are still being negotiated with the players union, are outlined in a memo the league sent to its teams. They would require players who have not gotten the vaccine to have their lockers as far away as possible from vaccinated teammates. They will also be placed in separate sections during meals, flights and bus rides.
Vaccinated players would no longer be required to have daily tests for the virus and will only be subject to testing if they exhibit symptoms or are exposed to someone who has tested positive. Their unvaccinated counterparts must be tested on any days with games or practices and may have to be tested twice on some days.
Those who haven’t been vaccinated will still be subject to a mandatory seven-day quarantine if they have close contact with a person who tests positive. Vaccinated players likely won’t have to deal with a quarantine as long as they don’t return a positive test.
Unvaccinated players won’t be permitted to sit with their unvaccinated teammates and must be at least six feet away during meals and team meetings. During team flights, the unvaccinated may have to sit in a section of the plane with staff members, and on bus trips, they will have to be separated from other players and may be required to take a separate bus.
Some of the restrictions may be relaxed for unvaccinated players who have recovered from the virus within the past six months, Windhorst and Bontemps add. The NBA also hopes to have all players tested for COVID-19 antibodies during their preseason physicals.
Marcus Garrett Signs Two-Way Deal With Heat
11:12am: Garrett’s signing is official, the team announced in a press release.
8:01am: The Heat will sign Kansas guard Marcus Garrett to a two-way contract, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal was confirmed by his agent, Mike George of One Legacy Sports Management.
Garrett had been expected to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with Miami shortly after the draft, but the deal was delayed while he changed agents. Now that his new agency is in place, the team opted to have Garrett fill one of its two-way slots.
The 22-year-old played for the Heat during Summer League, averaging 8.8 points and 4.6 rebounds in five games in Las Vegas and Sacramento. He also showed off his defensive skills with 2.8 steals per night.
Once the signing is complete, Miami will have 16 players under contract heading into camp, with rumored deals still looming for Javonte Smart, Micah Potter and RJ Nembhard. The Heat are planning an open competition for the other two-way opening.
LaMarcus Aldridge Cleared To Resume NBA Career
LaMarcus Aldridge has received medical clearance to start playing basketball again, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Nets are considered the favorites to sign him, Charania adds.
Aldridge’s career came to an abrupt end in April when doctors diagnosed him with an irregular heartbeat. The discovery prompted him to announce his retirement after playing just five games with Brooklyn, but he has passed all the medical tests necessary to resume his career, according to Charania.
Aldridge, who also dealt with heart issues in 2017, started talking about a comeback last month. The seven-time All-Star now appears ready to return for a 16th NBA season.
He was productive last year in 21 games for the Spurs, averaging 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds as the team’s starting center. However, San Antonio opted to go with younger players and took Aldridge out of the rotation before ultimately reaching a buyout agreement. He signed with Brooklyn in late March, but experienced the health scare two weeks later and was eventually waived.
The Nets are facing a potential roster crunch after reportedly reaching an agreement with free agent forward Paul Millsap earlier today. However, Brooklyn could open up room with a rumored buyout of veteran center DeAndre Jordan. The Nets can only offer Aldridge a veteran’s minimum contract.
Paul Millsap To Sign With Nets
The Nets are landing one of the top free agents left on the market, agreeing to a deal with Paul Millsap, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The deal was confirmed by Millsap’s agent, DeAngelo Simmons.
Numerous teams had expressed interest in the 36-year-old power forward, who spent the past four seasons in Denver. According to Charania, Millsap considered other contending teams, such as the Warriors, Bulls and Clippers, before deciding on Brooklyn (Twitter link).
The Nets were only able to offer a veteran’s minimum salary, but Millsap is looking for a chance to win a title, and Brooklyn is among the favorites for the upcoming season.
Millsap remained a productive player for the Nuggets last year in his 15th NBA season, averaging 9.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per night. He started 36 of the 56 games he played, although his usage declined in the postseason.
The addition of Millsap would bring the Nets to 20 players heading into camp if they sign second-round draft picks Marcus Zegarowski and RaiQuan Gray. The team still has one of its two-way slots open.
Having another big man on the roster should lead to further speculation of a potential buyout for DeAndre Jordan. There has been talk that Brooklyn wants to get out from under Jordan’s contract, which will pay him $19.7MM over the next two seasons.